The Quest for the $1,000,000 Top Prize Continues as Day 1c of Merit Millions Event Kicks Off
Day 1c of the $10,400 Merit Millions Event at the 2025 Merit Poker Classic Millions is underway today at 1:00 p.m. local time inside the prestigious Merit Royal Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa. With two opening flights already completed, the total field has reached 97 entries, and only the final table will be paid in this unique event, with the winner taking home a staggering $1,000,000 guaranteed first-place prize.
After two flights, Oleg Semionov leads the pack with an overwhelming stack of 7,380,000, nearly 2.5 million chips ahead of his closest rival. Following him in second place is Kirill Shcherbakov with 4,710,000 chips, while Tobias Duthweiler rounds out the top three with a stack of 4,095,000.
Current Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oleg Semionov | Lithuania | 7,380,000 | 492 |
| 2 | Kirill Shcherbakov | Russia | 4,710,000 | 314 |
| 3 | Tobias Duthweiler | Germany | 4,095,000 | 273 |
| 4 | Ali Al-Kubasi | Iraq | 4,000,000 | 267 |
| 5 | Tahsin Cankurtaranli | Turkey | 3,230,000 | 215 |
| 6 | Daniel Shademanpour | Iran | 3,175,000 | 212 |
| 7 | Fahredin Mustafov | Bulgaria | 3,100,000 | 207 |
| 8 | Jan Petersen | Denmark | 2,890,000 | 193 |
| 9 | Alexandr Lakhov | Russia | 2,660,000 | 177 |
| 10 | Danesh Zargaran | Iran | 2,645,000 | 176 |
After Day 1a saw 34 players advance and Day 1b concluded with 17 survivors, Day 1c offers another opportunity for players to bag chips and secure their place in Day 2. Today’s flight will feature the same structure as the previous rounds, with players starting with 1,000,000 chips and competing through eight 40-minute levels.
The turbo flight, Day 1d, will begin at 8 p.m. and features faster-paced 30-minute levels, offering players one last chance to build a stack before Day 2. With unlimited reentries available and late registration open until the end of Level 12 on Day 2, newcomers will have ample time to join the action and make their move up the chip counts.
Remaining Merit Millions Schedule
| Date | Day | Time | Blind Levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 11 | Day 1c | 1 p.m. | 40 minutes |
| April 11 | Day 1d | 8 p.m. | 30 minutes |
| April 12 | Day 2 | 12 p.m. | 40 minutes |
| April 13 | Day 3 | 12 p.m. | 60 minutes |
As always, PokerNews will be on-site to cover all the action today from when cards are in the air until players bag and tag at the end of the night.